Thread winding apparatus

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an apparatus for obtaining a linear displacement of a first element as a function of a rotary movement and can be advantageously used on thread-winding machines. The apparatus comprises means for shifting the lineary displacable element at the end of the reciprocatory stroke.

United States Patent 1191 Sallin Aug. 13, 1974 [54] THREAD WINDINGAPPARATUS 3,128,956 4/1964 Schumann 242/ 158.4 R X 1, [75] Inventor:Plerre Sallm, Geneva, Sw1tzer1and 3 13 322 221??? I I 73 4 73 AssigneezProductions sarcem Geneva 3,669,380 6/1972 Caltagirone 242/ 158 Rswltlerlflnd FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [22] Filed: June 12, 19726,712 7/1962 Japan 242/158.2 13,766 9/1962 Japan 1 1 242/158.2 [21]APPl- N91 261,808 18,221 9/1963 Japan 242/158.2

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Primary Examiner-Stanley N.Gilreath June 25, 1971 Switzerland 9325/71 Attorney, Agent, FirmY0ung &Thompson [52] US. Cl..... 242/158.2, 242/158 R, 242/158.4 R [57]ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl B65h 54/28 Th l f b [58] Field of Search 242/l58.2158 R 158.4 R e f ates an apparatus 9 3 242/43 11near d1sp1acement of afirst element as a funct10n of a rotary movement and can beadvantageously used [56] References Cited on thread-winding machines.The apparatus comprises means for shifting the lineary displacableelement at UNlTED STATES PATENTS the end of the reciprocatory stroke.1,105,453 7/1914 Petersen 242/43 3,097,805 7/1963 Ober1y 242/43 1 Claim,2 Drawmg Figures THREAD WINDING APPARATUS The apparatus for obtaining alinear displacement as a function of a rotary displacement can be usedin particular on thread-winding machines.

The known winding machines comprise mechanical adjusting means which donot enable great precision to be achieved in the of the movement of thethread guide, since these adjusting means do not permit the correctionmade to be determined with great accuracy. This renders the winding ofvery thin thread practically impossible, since the displacement of thethread guide cannot be adjusted with sufficient precision.

The present invention is aimed at eliminating this disadvantage andcomprises a machine for winding very fine threads (in the order of 1micron) to be provided, which machine can nevertheless be used forthreads of greater diameters (of the order of 0.1 mm). The apparatus ofthe invention comprises two elements, one of which is a rotary elementand the other executes a longitudinal reciprocatory movement parallelwith the axis of the first, as well as means for regulating the speed ofrotation.

The attached drawing illustrates diagrammatically and by way of exampleone form of construction of the thread-winding machine fitted with theapparatus of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically one form of construction of the windingmachine.

FIG. 2 is a view of part of the winding machine, the thread guide beingshown in the opposite position to that illustrated in FIG. 1.

The winding machine illustrated in the drawing comprises a motor 1 whichdrives a shaft 2 at a regulable speed in the direction of the arrow A;removably mounted on this shaft is the bobbin 3 which is to be loadedwith thread and which is located and fixed on the shaft by any knownmeans.

The shaft 2 also imparts rotation to a disc 4 containing at least oneradial opening 5, which when passing between the poles of the pick-up 6,generates counting impulses a in the electronic part 7, these impulsesthus being proportional to the number of radial openings 5 contained inthe disc 4, and therefore to the number of revolutions of the shaft 2and consequently to the speed of rotation of the bobbin 3. v

The electronic portion 7 comprises means 8 which is a counter devicewhich, after receiving a set number of impulses a from pick-up 6,permits driving impulses b emitted from electronic part 7 to be appliedto a stepby-step motor 9 which, through a gear 10, imparts adiscontinuous rotary movement in one or other direction to a shaft 11,as indicated by the arrow B.

The shaft 11 seen in FIG. 1 has a screw-threaded portion cooperatingwith a fixed part 12 in such manner that the portion 11' of the shaftundergoes a longitudinal reciprocatory movement in the directionsindicated by the arrow C. The speed of this movement is controlled in aconventional manner according to the impulses a and b. It will bereadily appreciated that the illustration provided in the drawing isgreatly simplified and that in practice use would be made of a means 12for converting the rotary movement in the direction of the arrow B intoa longitudinal reciprocatory movement in the directions of the arrow C,without the shaft 11 rotating about its own axis.

The shaft 11 slidably carries the thread guide 13 and a stop 14 adaptedto move into contact with two limit elements 15 and 16, constituted forexample by micro contacts which, when the thread guide 13 reaches theend of the bobbin, enable reversing impulses c to be sent to theelectronic part 7. These reversing impulses c are for the purpose ofreversing the direction of rotation of the step-by-step motor 9 so thatthe thread guide moves towards the other end of the bobbin.

It is of course possible to locate at least one of the limit elements 15or 16 in such a position that reversal takes place at the end of thebobbin whatever its length.

To promote winding of the thread in neat turns, the actuating systemalso comprises a means for shifting the linearly displaced element. Infact it is necessary, when reversal takes place, for the thread guide'13 to be shifted axially in relation to the shaft 11 to bring thethread into a favourable position. This means for shifting the threadguide comprises an electromagnet 17 solid with the shaft 11' andlocatedon one side of the thread guide, and a fixed stop 20 likewisesolidly connected to the shaft 11, and fitted at the other side of thethread guide. A spiral spring 18 bears by one of its ends againstelectromagnet 17 and by the other against the thread guide 13 or itssupport and urges it against the stop 20. A sleeve 19 is fitted aroundthe shaft 11 and inside the spring 18, and is secured to thread guide13, and is of a length such that when the thread guide is applied to thefree end-face of this sleeve, a gap 7 is maintained between the otherface of the thread guide and the stop 20.

In FIG. 1, the shift means is illustrated in the'position it occupieswhen the thread guide is first moved to the left. The position of thismeans, illustrated in FIG. 2, corresponds to that occupied when thethread guide is first moved to the right.

In FIG. 1, the thread guide 13 is applied to the fixed stop 20 with theaid of the spring 18, and is moved to the left by the effect of therotation of the shaft 11. When the stop 14 moves into contact with themicro contact 15, the latter not only causes the direction of rotationof the shaft 11' to be reversed and thus the direction of lineardisplacement of the thread guide 13 to be reversed, but also results inthe electromagnet l7 pulling the sleeve 19 and the thread guide 13,thereby overcoming the force of the spring 18. Thus, despite reversal ofthe direction of movement of the thread guide, the latter is shifted tothe left over a distance corresponding to the gap 7, and this ensurescorrect winding at the left-hand end of the bobbin 3. By this additionalshift at the end of the traverse of the thread guide, it is therebyassured that the thread is tightened by drawing it against the last turnwhich has been wound, which is desirable in the case of fine filamentssuch as threads.

When the stop 14 moves on to the micro contact 16, it causes thedirection of movement of thethread guide to be changed, and also causesthe electromagnet to be de-energized. The spring 18 shifts the threadguide up to the stop 20. Thus the winding of the thread on theright-hand end of the bobbin 3 is also properly carried out.

In other variant, the bobbin could also be adapted to be movedlongitudinally whilst keeping the thread guide stationary, withoutthereby departing from the framework of the present invention.

What I claim is:

l. A thread winding apparatus comprising means for rotating a bobbin toreceive thread to be wound thereon, a thread guide for guiding thread tobe wound on the bobbin, a shaft on which the thread guide is mounted,means for lengthwise reciprocating the shaft parallel to the axis of thebobbin to cause the thread guide to traverse thereby to distribute turnsof thread on the bobbin, a pair of stops on the shaft between which thethread guide is reciprocable lengthwise of the shaft relative to theshaft, and means for imparting to the thread guide a linear shiftlengthwise of the shaft relative to the shaft at the end of eachtraverse of the thread guide and in the same direction that the threadguide has just traversed and at a linear velocity lengthneously with theactuation and deactuation of said electromagnet.

1. A thread winding apparatus comprising means for rotating a bobbin toreceive thread to be wound thereon, a thread guide for guiding thread tobe wound on the bobbin, a shaft on which the threAd guide is mounted,means for lengthwise reciprocating the shaft parallel to the axis of thebobbin to cause the thread guide to traverse thereby to distribute turnsof thread on the bobbin, a pair of stops on the shaft between which thethread guide is reciprocable lengthwise of the shaft relative to theshaft, and means for imparting to the thread guide a linear shiftlengthwise of the shaft relative to the shaft at the end of eachtraverse of the thread guide and in the same direction that the threadguide has just traversed and at a linear velocity lengthwise of theshaft higher than the traversing velocity of the thread guide, saidimparting means comprising a sleeve secured to one side of said threadguide and encompassing said shaft and slidable relative to the shaft andengageable with one of said stops, spring means urging said thread guidetoward the other of said stops, said one of said stops comprising anelectromagnet, means to actuate and deactuate said electromagnet therebyalternately to attract and release said thread guide to effect saidlinear shifts, and means to reverse the direction of reciprocation ofsaid shaft simultaneously with the actuation and deactuation of saidelectromagnet.